Cedar handles Colorado weather better than most woods, but the sun at our altitude is hard on any fence. Five easy habits will keep a cedar fence straight, tight and good-looking for years.
1. Stain it, and keep restaining
Untreated cedar turns silver-gray within a season or two in Colorado sun. That's only cosmetic, but stain also slows down drying and cracking. Let a new fence dry for a few weeks, then use a penetrating, UV-blocking stain. Recoat every two to three years. South- and west-facing sides usually need it first.
2. Aim your sprinklers away from the fence
A sprinkler that hits the same boards every morning is one of the fastest ways to ruin cedar. Adjust the heads so they water the lawn, not the pickets.
3. Keep soil and mulch off the bottom
Boards that sit in dirt or mulch stay wet and rot from the bottom up. Leave a gap of an inch or two between the bottom of the pickets and the ground.
4. Check it after big wind
After a wind event, walk the fence line. Look for loose pickets, popped screws and posts that rock when you push them. A loose post caught early is a quick fix. Left alone, it can take a whole section down in the next storm.
5. Keep gates adjusted
Gates take the most abuse. If a gate starts dragging or the latch won't catch, tighten the hinges or add an anti-sag kit before it pulls the post out of line.
Need a hand? We do fence repair across the Denver Metro area, from single pickets to full post resets, and we build new cedar fences made to last. Thinking about the environmental side of wood? See our guide to eco-friendly fencing choices.